Anaheim Ducks 15 Best Contracts (2005-2022)

This was originally published in my 2020 book Hunting Bargains in a Salary Cap World, and has now been updated with new contracts. I will continue to update each team’s list every summer going forward. The rule is that only active contracts can move up or down. Expired deals cannot pass each other. Next summer it may even be expanded to top 20. The book is still available on Amazon, though some of the stats on active contracts are now out of date. You may yet find it interesting because there were detailed stat graphics that you won't find here. One thing you won't find here are entry level contracts because they all come from the same cookie cutter and require less skill at the negotiating table.
 
My latest book The Hockey Economist’s Betting Prospectus is now available. It's a comprehensive commentary on the last 3 years of hockey betting, broken down by team, by category, by strategy, by season. There is plenty of useful information for bettors of all skill levels. It covers pre-pandemic, peak-pandemic, post-pandemic. What worked, what failed. Lessons learned, market trends, team-by-team analysis. What impact did the pandemic have on hockey betting? The market differences between these 3 seasons are discussed at length, and there's a lot to talk about. To read more, visit the Amazon store.
 
Enjoy! Please note: The formatting on the graphics got scrambled being copied from Excel into Google Blogger. It's among the reasons my blog is looking for a new home.
 
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1. Scott Niedermayer

	Signed By:	Brian Burke		Position:	D
	Date:	2005-08-04		Age July 1st:	31
	Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	56
	Total Money:	$27M		Playoff PTS:	34
	Cap Hit:	$6.75M		Stanley Cups:	1

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	47.8	291	216	618
Per 82 GP	12.0	82	61	174	26.2

“Scott Niedermayer is one of the top defensemen in the game today whose skating, puck-moving ability and leadership qualities make him a great addition to our team”

– Brian Burke

 

When Scotty f**king Niedermayer emerged from the 2005 lockout as an unrestricted free agent, Lou Lamoriello made every effort to retain his future Hall of Fame defenseman. Maybe what he should have done was add his brother Rob instead, then use that as bait to lure Scott back. That was the strategy deployed by Brian Burke, who landed the big fish after Lou Lamoriello had reportedly offered a more lucrative deal. Chris Pronger had signed a similar contract in Edmonton one day earlier, and the two would become teammates one year later.

 

The words Anaheim Mighty Ducks do not get engraved on the Stanley Cup without Scotty, the eventual playoff MVP. It’s very difficult to win the Cup in free agency, but this was one example. The contract did take a downturn after winning the championship, which can be forgiven considering he very nearly retired, sitting out until December the following season. Regardless of how he performed after the championship, the investment paid the ultimate dividend. Despite coming close to retirement following the Cup, Scotty still returned for one more year following this deal.

 

 

2- Adam Banks: Won a district Pee Wee hockey championship

 

2. Corey Perry

 

	Signed By:	Brian Burke		Position:	F
	Date:	2008-07-01		Age July 1st:	23
	Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	26
	Total Money:	$26.6M		Playoff PTS:	24
	Cap Hit:	$5.3M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	36.5	366	342	1248
Per 82 GP	7.3	82	77	280	20.6

 

"I really wanted to stay in Anaheim, it's a great place to play hockey"

– Corey Perry

 

Both Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf were due to have their entry level contracts expire in July 2008, but Getzlaf had agreed to an extension back in November. Perry had not yet reached his ceiling, scoring 54 PTS that season, going unsigned until July 1st as a restricted free agent. Brian Burke would eventually agree to give Corey the same terms as Ryan, despite one being a center who had just scored 82 PTS. In retrospect Perry should never have been paid the same as Getzlaf, but both would prove to be bargains nonetheless.

 

This deal ranked above its twin because Perry was voted league MVP in 2011 after a 50-goal season with 98 PTS. Anytime you can get a Hart Trophy winner, that’s a worthy investment, even if he stole the award from Daniel Sedin. The stat line is strong with 366 GP, 342 PTS, 1248 shots, averaging over 20 min per game of ice time. Perry’s next contract can be found on the Anaheim Mighty Ducks worst contracts list which was eventually bought out.

 

3. Ryan Getzlaf

 

	Signed By:	Brian Burke		Position:	F
	Date:	2007-11-20		Age July 1st:	23
	Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	26
	Total Money:	$26.6M		Playoff PTS:	30
	Cap Hit:	$5.3M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	36.5	340	342	777
Per 82 GP	7.3	82	82	187	21.1

 

“This is a place that I want to play. I love being here.”

– Ryan Getzlaf

 

Ryan Getzlaf scored 58 PTS in 2007, adding 17 more in the playoffs on the way to winning the Stanley Cup. The center inked this 5-year extension in November the following season right as he was in the process of breaking out to the next level offensively. He finished that season with 82 PTS, and unquestionably would have been more expensive had Burke waited until July like with Perry.

 

If you did not count the Hart trophy, Getzlaf would have ranked more valuable than Perry. The big center scored 342 PTS in 340 GP, also adding 777 shots, 772 hits, and 2635 face off wins. That’s a nice haul for that money and one of the most physically dominant centers in the NHL. Two of these seasons were limited by injuries, but he was still fantastic on a per game basis (82 PTS per 82 GP).

 

Ryan became captain of the Mighty Ducks when Neidermayer retired in 2010. The dynamic duo of Perry-Getzlaf would agree to similar contracts when these were finished, but the value disparity between them grew larger, as Ryan remained dominant longer.

 

4. Teemu Selanne

 

	Signed By:	Brian Burke		Position:	F
	Date:	2006-06-13		Age July 1st:	35
	Term:	1 year		Playoff GP:	21
	Total Money:	$3.75M		Playoff PTS:	15
	Cap Hit:	$3.75M		Stanley Cups:	1

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	7.0	82	94	257
Per 82 GP	7.0	82	94	257	17.7

 

"This is a player who wanted to stay. He made some concessions financially to do that and we're grateful"

– Brian Burke

 

It’s hard to find historical comparables of players over the age of 30 who scored anywhere near 90 PTS before becoming a free agent. The price of retaining Teemu Selanne that summer should have been much more expensive, but at this stage of his career, Teemu really loved living in the OC and it’s unclear if he had any interest in listening to offers from other teams.

 

Selanne signed a one-year contract for 79 cents on the dollar, and would go on to score 109 PTS (including playoffs) as they won the Stanley Cup. They needed this guy to climb that mountain.  Teemu played for 9 years after the 2005 lockout and 7 of them were on 1-year deals, most of those at below market price. At a certain point, Mighty Ducks management had to realize they were getting him back every year regardless of how much they offered.

 

5. John Gibson

 

	Signed By:	Bob Murray		Position:	G
	Date:	2015-09-21		Age July 1st:	22
	Term:	3 years		Playoff Wins:	9
	Total Money:	$6.9M		Playoff SV%:	0.913
	Cap Hit:	$2.3M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	2.5	170	82	2.50	0.922

 

“Obviously, he had to offer it and I had to accept it. I think it shows he wants me to be here for a long time and I want to be here for a while and help the team win.”

– John Gibson

 

Gibson had only accumulated 26 GP of NHL experience when he signed this extension, agreeing to the same terms as Robin Lehner one year earlier in Ottawa. Gibson then proceeded to post a .920 SV% in the final year of his ELC over 40 games. Had he simply waited until his ELC expired to sign a new deal, he could have solicited more dough.

 

Johnny had some injury issues, but put up fantastic numbers when healthy, finishing the contract with 53 Goals Saved Above Average and a .922 SV%. In year three he was the runaway favourite to win the Vezina trophy before the Mighty Ducks season collapsed. He got a big contract when this one expired, but the jury is still out on whether that’s a good investment.

 

6. Cam Fowler

 

	Signed By:	Bob Murray		Position:	D
	Date:	2012-09-15		Age July 1st:	21
	Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	49
	Total Money:	$20M		Playoff PTS:	26
	Cap Hit:	$4M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	23.5	366	169	608
Per 82 GP	4.7	82	38	136	23.5

 

"It was more than a fair offer, and I was completely happy with it. Talking about it with my agent and my family, we knew that this was the best decision for me. We made sure all the pieces fit together, and they absolutely did.”

– Cam Fowler

 

Cam Fowler had a sensational rookie season as an 18-year-old, scoring 40 PTS, but fell down to 29 PTS the following campaign, after which Murray locked him into a cheap extension. This treaty was forged one day after John Carlson had inked an equivalent contract, but both were cousins of the Erik Johnson ticket from earlier in the summer.

 

It proved to be an astute buy-low decision with Fowler’s output rebounding. Over the final 2 years they got a 40-point defenseman playing nearly 25 minutes per game. The good news for Cam was that the deal walked him to unrestricted free agency, so Bob Murray offered a generous salary and 7-year term to entice Fowler to return. Another team might have offered more money if he went to July 1st, but who wants to leave Anaheim, right?

 

 

7. Teemu Selanne

 

	Signed By:	Brian Burke		Position:	F
	Date:	2005-08-22		Age July 1st:	34
	Term:	1 year		Playoff GP:	16
	Total Money:	$1M		Playoff PTS:	14
	Cap Hit:	$1M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	2.1	80	90	267
Per 82 GP	2.1	82	92	274	17.8

 

"I signed Teemu because I think he makes us a better hockey team. We're anticipating he'll play on our top six. Certainly, I'm counting on him for top-six ice time and the power play.”

– Brian Burke

 

Teemu Selanne had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2004, scoring just 32 PTS in 78 GP for the Colorado Avalanche, hobbled by a chronic knee issue. While other NHLers were moonlighting in Europe, Teemu spent the work stoppage rehabilitating from reconstructive knee surgery. The Finnish Flash was 35-years-old when the new CBA was signed, so there was incredible risk against inking him to a long-term ticket. Having previously played 6 seasons with the Mighty Ducks, returning to the OC was a comfortable fit. Brian Burke was able to sign him on a 1-year term at a very team friendly price.

 

Teemu emerged from the lockout as a new man who had been shot out of a cannon. The Flash scored 40 goals and 90 PTS for $1M exactly. That’s one of the best bargains on one-year contracts in the salary cap era. Even adjusting for cap inflation, that is the cheapest price any team has ever paid on a non-entry level contract in the salary cap era for a season of 90 or more PTS. His next contract was more expensive, but ranked higher on this list because it produced a Stanley Cup win. Nominally though, this was the bigger bargain.

 

 

8. Sami Vatanen

 

	Signed By:	Bob Murray		Position:	D
	Date:	2014-07-22		Age July 1st:	23
	Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	23
	Total Money:	$2.5M		Playoff PTS:	15
	Cap Hit:	$1.26M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	3.0	138	75	262
Per 82 GP	1.5	82	45	156	21.4

 

“I’ve never been scared about mistakes. Everyone makes them. You use them to learn.”

– Sami Vatanen

 

Sami Vatanen had only accumulated 56 games of NHL experience (scoring at a 33-point pace) when this was signed, allowing Bob Murray to secure his signature on a discounted bridge deal. Sami’s offensive upside was on full display in the AHL, where he had scored 52 PTS in 56 GP. But his days of commuting back and forth to Norfolk ended with his ELC, as Vatanen would start flaunting that upside in the NHL.

 

In 138 GP he scored 75 PTS from the blueline (45 PTS per 82 GP), averaging over 21 minutes per game. It’s hard to get this much offense from a defenseman for such a low-price tag. Vatanen re-signed for a fair wage, but was traded to New Jersey in year one of that deal for Adam Henrique, as the exodus of good young defensemen from the Mighty Ducks roster continued.

 

 

9. Andy McDonald

 

	Signed By:	Brian Burke		Position:	F
	Date:	2006-07-05		Age July 1st:	28
	Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	25
	Total Money:	$10M		Playoff PTS:	18
	Cap Hit:	$3.3M		Stanley Cups:	1

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	16.6	210	174	562
Per 82 GP	5.5	82	68	219	18.0

 

“If you had asked me a month ago, I wouldn’t have paid that much. It would be a different number, but my instructions from ownership are quite clear. They want to pay what’s fair.”

– Brian Burke

 

Andy McDonald should have been an unrestricted free agent when his contract expired on July 1st 2006 at age 28 (after an 85-point season), but provisions in the new CBA obstructed his path to the open market. Brian Burke seemed prepared to lowball Andy into a smaller deal, but said that ownership wanted “fair” pay.

 

It’s entirely plausible that Burke was simply saying that as a negotiating tactic, because the terms they finally agreed to were below market value. A week earlier Henrik Sedin had signed for more money following a 75-point season. Burke made it seem like ownership was forcing him to pay a fair wage, when Andy was actually taking a team friendly deal.

 

It would pay off for both sides, as McDonald got his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. His production slowed the following season, likely just a Stanley Cup hangover, when he was traded to the St. Louis Blues for Doug Weight, where he re-discovered his scoring touch. A broken leg would cost him half of the final season, but Andy was still able to get an $18.8M commitment from the Blues.

 

 

10. Nick Bonino

 

	Signed By:	Bob Murray		Position:	F
	Date:	2013-11-27		Age July 1st:	26
	Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	51
	Total Money:	$5.7M		Playoff PTS:	28
	Cap Hit:	$1.9M		Stanley Cups:	2

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	6.6	218	105	388
Per 82 GP	2.2	82	39	146	16.5

 

“I’m 25 so it’s a great deal for me. I’m obviously happy to stay with this team, with all the guys here.”

– Nick Bonino

 

The Mighty Ducks saved themselves some money by extending Nick Bonino in November of what would turn out to be the best season of his career, scoring 22 goals and 49 PTS. But before he could even play a game on this contract, Bob Murray traded him to the Canucks as part of the Ryan Kesler deal. After one mediocre season, the Canucks flipped him to the Penguins for Brandon Sutter.

 

It was in Pittsburgh where the magic happened, as Bonino played a significant supporting role helping the Pens win 2 Stanley Cups, scoring 25 PTS in 45 GP over those two playoff runs. Ergo: Nick made this list for what he accomplished on another team, but it was signed by Anaheim, so here it is. His next contract would become an overpayment for the Nashville Predators.

 

 

11. Chris Kunitz

 

	Signed By:	Brian Burke		Position:	F
	Date:	2006-07-20		Age July 1st:	26
	Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	19
	Total Money:	$2.1M		Playoff PTS:	8
	Cap Hit:	$1.06M		Stanley Cups:	1

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	3.7	163	110	376
Per 82 GP	1.9	82	55	189	17.0

 

“He’s one of our Swiss army knives. He’s good enough to play on the top line and tough enough to play on the fourth line. And he can do almost anything in between.”

– Brian Burke

 

Chris Kunitz came to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 2003/04 as an undrafted college free agent. When the league resumed following the work stoppage, Anaheim actually lost Kunitz via a waiver claim to the Atlanta Thrashers Winnipeg Jets. Thankfully, he only played 2 games in Atlanta Winnipeg before he was waived again and re-claimed by Anaheim. Catastrophe averted.

 

Chris would heat up and finish that season with 41 PTS in 69 GP to earn himself a decent (but cheap) 2-year bridge deal. He would score 110 regular season PTS over these 2 seasons, also chipping in 6 playoff PTS in Anaheim’s Cup run and got his name carved into the trophy.

 

 

12. Troy Terry

 

	Signed By:	Bob Murray		Position:	F
	Date:	2020-07-14		Age July 1st:	22
	Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	0
	Total Money:	$4.35M		Playoff PTS:	0
	Cap Hit:	$1.45M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	4.4	123	87	261
Per 82 GP	1.5	82	58	174	16.9

 

“When they sent me down, it hurt me, but I’m proud of the way I responded down there. I did my job down there. It was part of the growing pains, I guess.”

-Troy Terry

 

Troy Terry signed this contract after scoring 15 PTS in 47 games during the 2019/20 season, which would pace for 26 PTS in 82 GP. My algorithm priced his stat line at $1.2M, so if anything he received a slight wage premium relative to his performance.  He exploded onto the scene in 2021/22 with an outstanding breakout campaign, scoring 67 PTS in 75 GP, which carries an expected free agent value of $7.2M. That’s quite a discount!

 

 

13. Jonas Hiller

 

	Signed By:	Brian Burke		Position:	G
	Date:	2008-06-11		Age July 1st:	26
	Term:	4 years		Playoff Wins:	7
	Total Money:	$2.6M		Playoff SV%:	0.943
	Cap Hit:	$1.3M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	1.9	105	53	2.59	0.918

 

“Jonas really likes living in Anaheim”

– Agent Allain Roy

 

Jonas Hiller only played 29 games in North America on his entry level contract (after signing as an undrafted free agent), and played outstanding in his 23 game NHL stint with a .927 SV%. He overtook Ilya Bryzgalov on the Mighty Ducks goaltending depth chart, leading Burke to trade the enigmatic Russian to Phoenix Arizona. Burke then signed Hiller to a 2-year bridge deal similar to what Bryzgalov had signed 2 years earlier.

 

Jonas would soon overtake J.S Giguere on that same depth chart, prompting management to trade Jiggy to the Leafs. Hiller provided the team with 105 games of above average goaltending for well below the average price of a starting goalie, finishing the deal with 25 Goals Saved Above Average. The Swiss netminder also recorded an impressive .943 SV% in 13 playoff games, even better than his .918 regular season mark. His next contract would produce a lower save percentage for triple the price.

 

14. Frederik Andersen

 

	Signed By:	Bob Murray		Position:	G
	Date:	2013-10-24		Age July 1st:	24
	Term:	2 years		Playoff Wins:	14
	Total Money:	$2.3M		Playoff SV%:	0.921
	Cap Hit:	$1.15M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	1.4	97	57	2.34	0.916

 

“Every tine we get another Danish player on one of the teams over here, it’s pretty huge and a proud moment for Denmark.”

– Frederik Andersen

 

Frederik Andersen had only played a single game in the NHL when Bob Murray secured his autograph on this 2-year bridge deal. The Danish goaltender had only arrived in North America one year earlier, and had been outstanding in the AHL, where he posted a .929 SV%. Neither he or the team had any guarantee that he would become a really good goalie, but the price and term were low risk.

 

That risk would produce a big reward. The Mighty Ducks got a legit #1 goalie at a substantial discount. Freddy had a win-loss record of 57-21 with a 2.34 GAA and .916 SV%. But as John Gibson started to emerge as their goalie of the future, Murray shipped Freddy to the Leafs for a fantastic return (1^st and 2^nd round draft picks) that produced Sam Steel and Max Comtois.

 

 

15. Rickard Rakell

 

	Signed By:	Bob Murray		Position:	F
	Date:	2016-10-14		Age July 1st:	23
	Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	21
	Total Money:	$23.1M		Playoff PTS:	14
	Cap Hit:	$3.85M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	24.2	404	274	1115
Per 82 GP	4.0	82	56	226	18.2

 

"The injury held this up a little bit. Everybody can understand we wanted to be totally comfortable that Ricky was going to be OK going forward."

– Bob Murray

 

Rickard Rakell went unsigned into the 2016/17 season, in part because of multiple knee surgeries. The Swede had scored 43 PTS in the final year of his ELC and was due a salary in the $4M range. It could have benefited both sides to do a bridge deal, but Bob Murray decided to gamble by locking him in for 6-years at the price of a 45-point player, buying 2 years of unrestricted free agency. Victor Rask had signed an almost identical contract a few months earlier, and this could easily have taken a downward turn like what happened with Rask.

 

The bet paid off, as Ricky climbed up to 51 PTS in year one, and 69 PTS in year two. There was some regression in year three, after the team’s offense struggled to score goals. His agent is Claude Lemieux, so it brings me pleasure to know that Rakell left money on the table.